Device for teaching penmanship.



S. E. SMITH.

DEVICE FOR TEACHING PENMANSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.7, 1910.

972,273. 1 Patented Oct. 11,1910.

m: mum's PITERS co., wnsnmsrpq, u. c

SIDNEY B. SMITH, OF GAINESVILLE, TEXAS.

DEVICE FOR TEACHING PENMANSI-IIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

Application filed. January 7, 1910. Serial No. 536,785.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY It. SMITH, citizen of the United States,residing at Gainesville, in the county of Cooke and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for TeachingPenmanship, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for teaching Penmanship, and hasparticular reference to a device of this character embodying new anduseful im rovements upon my prior Patent No. 940, 44.

An important object of my invention is to provide a device of the abovecharacter which may be readily adjusted to fit any size hand.

My inventionconsists generally in the arrangement and combination ofparts to be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, andin which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughoutthe same, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device as a whole. Fig.2 is a side view of the body portion of the device, the same being shownin an open position. Fig. 3 is an end view of the body portion shown inFig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view showing the manner in whichthe connecting rod is secured to one of the members of the body portion.Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view through a portion of the body of thedevice, showing the manner in which the arm for supporting thethumb issecured to said body. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of a portion ofthe body of the device adjacent the arm supporting the thumb. Fig. 7 isa sectional view taken on line 77 of Fig. 1.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, as illustrated in thedrawings, 1 designates the body of the device which is shown as beingsubstantially egg-shaped. The body 1 is hollow and is formed of two likeortions 2 and 3 which are provided with interlocking edges 4 and 5respectively. The body 1 is preferably made of aluminum on account ofthe lightness of this metal. The portions 2 and 3 are normally heldtogether by means of a connecting rod 6, which is provided at one endwith a head 7. The connecting rod 6 passes through the portion 2 and thehead 7 is disposed within a recess formed upon the outer surface of saidportion 2, whereby said head 7 is flush with said outer surface. Awasher 8 surrounds the connecting rod 6 and is disposed adjacent theinner surface of the portion 2 and the washer8 is clamped against theportion 2 by means of a nut 9 which is arranged upon the enlargedscrew-threaded portion 10 of said connecting rod 6. It is thus seen thatone end of the connecting rod 6 is rigidly secured to the portion 2while the opposite end of the connecting rod is adapted to be insertedthrough an opening 11 formed upon the portion 3. The connecting rod 6 isscrew-threaded as at 12 for a purpose to be hereinafter explained. In myprior Patent No. 940,744, the means carried by the body portion formaintaining the fingers in proper position for writing, werelongitudinally adjustable, while no provision was made whereby the meanscould be angularly adjusted. In the present invention means are providedwhereby the means which maintain the fingers in proper position forwriting may be longitudinally and angularly adjusted.

The portion 2 is provided near one end thereof with slots 13 which areat substantially right angles to each other. I further provide a tubularsleeve 14 having an inner flanged end 15, said sleeve 14 being adaptedto be moved longitudinally in each of the slots 13. The sleeve 14 isexternally screwthreaded for the reception of a nut 16. The sleeve 14 isprovided with a washer which surrounds the same and is disposed belowsaid nut 16. By this construction it is obvious that the sleeve 14 maybe moved longitudinally within each of the slots 13 and clamped to theportion 2 in a desired position, by the manipulation of the nut 16. Thetubular sleeve 14 is internally screwthreaded for the reception of anexternally screw-threaded pin 17 which has secured upon its outer end abow-shaped piece of metal 18, which in turn is adapted to serve as asupport for the thumb. It is obvious by the construction above describedthat the pin 17 may be longitudinally adjusted, and that the same may beangularly adjusted withrelation to the bod 1. The angular adjustment ofthe pin 1 is caused by the two" divergently curvedfingers. 2-2 and 23under which the fourth and fifth fingers are designed to be confined. Itis to be under- I stood that .the pins 19 and 21 are mounted upon theportion 2 in alike manner" tothe pin 17 and therefore this specificconstruction need' not' be described again. The pins 19' and 21 aretherefore longitudinally and ang-u'larly adj ustable.

Extending from one end of the body 1 isasupporting rod 24, which isprovided at its free end with a ball 25.

mannertothe pin 17, except that the sleeve 14' upon which the rod 24cismounted, is disposed Within a circular opening 26 instead of beingarranged to operate within angu larl'y arranged grooves 13; supportingthe rod 24 may thus be moved within the opening 26* and clamped to thebody 1 in a desired position.

The portion 2 is provided adjacent its edge-4- with an opening 27 forthereception of thebent en'd 28" of a metal strip 29. The

connecting'rodfi aibovereferred to is arranged Within the opening 11upon the-portion 3" and further extends through an opening provided uponthe bent end 28. A nut- 29 is arranged upon the screw threaded end 12 Vof the connecting rod 6 and thus clainpsthe bent end 28 to the portion2. The metal strip 29' is somewhat bent to conform tothe curvature ofthe wrist. Near the middle ofthe metal strip-29 is formed a longitudinal slot 30.- Arranged' upon the metal strip 29and neart'hemiddlet-her-eof is a strap 31 for binding' the strip 29 to the arm ofthe wearer; The strap 31 comprises a thin re silient metal strip 32 uponwhich is rigidly inaterial as cloth or leather.

secured a stud .33- having flanged ends 34 The stud 33-is adaptedtoopera'te Within the slot 30. 1 The strip 32 is covered upon both'sides" thereofby'se'ctions 35 of such pliable The sections Y 35%extendlaterally beyond the metallic strip 82and said sections 35;are stitchedtogether along'thei-r edgesas' at 36. By the construct on abovedescribed the entire strap may be moved longitudinally of the metallicstrip 7 29*, when so desired' A second strap 37 is connected to the freeend of the metallic st r-i33 29.

Having fully described my invention, I clairnz A device" of the"character described,

comprising a body adapted tobe heldin the hand'fand angularly adjustablemeans can The rod 24 is mounted upon the body 1 in a similar The sleeve14' ried by said body for maintaining the fingers in proper position forwriting 2. A device of the character described, comprising a bodyadapted to be held in the hand, and longitudinally and angularlyadjustable means carried by said body for maintaining the fingers inproper position for writing.

3.- A device of the character described, comprising a body adapted to beheld in the hand, longitudinally and angularly adjustable means carriedby said body for maintaining the fingers in proper position for writing,and means carried by said body for maintaining the" hand inproperposition for wr-iting.-

a. A device of the character described, comprising a body, pins mountedupon' said body and provided with means for maintaining the fingers inproper position for writing, each of said pins being longitudinal'lyadjustably mounted within a sleeve, and said sleeve being movablymounted upon said body.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a body,- adapted tobe held in' the hand',-pi ns mounted upon said body and provided withmeans for maintaining the fingers in proper position for writing, eachof said pins being longitudinally adjustably mounted within a sleeve,said sleeve being movably mounted within as slot formedupon said body,and means for clamping sa'idsleeve in a desired position upon* saidbody.

'6. A device, of the character described,

.comprising a body adapted to be held in the hand, means carried by saidbody for maintaining the fingers in proper position for writing,- andmeans carried by said body for preventing the tilting of the hand, saidlast named means being angularly adjustable.

7. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow body adaptedto be held in the hand, said body being formedof a plurality ofseparable portions, angularly adjustable means for maintaining thehugers in proper position for writing, and angularly adjustable meanscarried by said body for preventing the tilting of the hand.

8. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow body adaptedto be held in the hand, said body being formed of a plurality ofseparable portions, means carried byone of said portions formaintainingthe fingers in proper position for writing, a striparranged upon one ofsaid portions, a connecting bolt for securing said portions together andfor clamping said strip to one of the; portions, and means forconnecting said strip to the wrist of the wearer.

9. A device of thech'aracter described,

comprising a body having acurved surface, means arranged upon said bodyfor maintaining the fingers in proper position for lalong said curvedsurface, and means for 10 writing and said means being capable of beingmoved along said curved surface.

10. A device of the character described, comprising a body adapted to beheld in the hand and having a curved surface, means arranged upon saidbody for maintaining the fingers in proper position for writing,

said means being capable of being moved I securing said body upon thewrist of the wearer.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SIDNEY B. SMITH. Witnesses:

C. A. WHEELER, J. A. THOMAS.

